'Really, this is beyond everything,' grumbled the sleepy voice of Mr. Kantagryuhin from the next room: 'what fool is it that has taken a fancy to talk all night?' The speaker promptly ducked under the clothes and peeping out timidly, held up his finger to me warningly, 'Sh--sh--!' he whispered; and, as it were, bowing apologetically in the direction of Kantagryuhin's voice, he said respectfully: 'I obey, sir, I obey; I beg your pardon.... It's permissible for him to sleep; he ought to sleep,' he went on again in a whisper: 'he must recruit his energies--well, if only to eat his dinner with the same relish to-morrow. We have no right to disturb him. Besides, I think I've told you all I wanted to; probably you're sleepy too. I wish you good-night.' He turned away with feverish rapidity and buried his head in the pillow. 'Let me at least know,' I asked, 'with whom I have had the pleasure....' He raised his head quickly. 'No, for mercy's sake!' he cut me short, 'don't inquire my name either of me or of others. Let me remain to you an unknown being, crushed by fate, Vassily Vassilyevitch. Besides, as an unoriginal person, I don't deserve an individual name.... But if you really want to give me some title, call me... call me the Hamlet of the Shtchigri district. There are many such Hamlets in every district, but perhaps you haven't come across others.... After which, good-bye.' He buried himself again in his feather-bed, and the next morning, when they came to wake me, he was no longer in the room. He had left before daylight. XXI TCHERTOP-HANOV AND NEDOPYUSKIN